Oh, Maia
by UndressTheseBeautifulLies
Summary: A dark stormy night brought them together in the closest bond known to man - mother and baby. What could tear them apart? Bade, AU, multi-chap. Jade becomes a mother in the most unlikely of circumstances. How will she cope?
1. Oh Homecoming

**A/N:**

 _ **Sooo...this is a new idea that I've been playing around with for a while now. It's a little cliché, but hopefully original enough for you to enjoy. I haven't written multi-chap for Victorious in a little while, but I hope that doesn't affect my writing for it.**_

 _ **Thanks to sshaw101 for helping me out on this and just generally being lovely.**_

 _ **Tell me what you think for a preview of the next chapter, I love hearing from everyone.**_

 ** _~ Caitlin_**

Stepping off of the plane, Jade takes a deep breath. It had been a long summer vacation that she had spent in Florida, staying with her aunt and uncle. It'd been a relaxing two months yet Jade never truly felt tranquil or at peace, the last words she'd shared with Beck weighing heavily in her mind, replaying as she went to sleep every night. She'd pushed him too far; he'd had enough of the lies, of the arguments, of the jealousy every time he stepped out of the front door, and he'd snapped.

Even though she knew it was her fault, she definitely knew that much, she would never forget the heartbreak that those last words caused her. She'd never forget the shake of his head, the manic, humorless laugh as he'd demanded, "Where is the girl I fell in love with?" He'd tried to take it back, ran his hand through his hair and said feebly that of course he didn't mean it, that she was standing right in front of him. He could barely stand to look at her, to see the pain and disappointment in her eyes. It was almost worse than her screaming at him, the silent storminess that brewed in her blue eyes. But she'd had one too many rejections lately and Beck's weak attempt at persuasion stung. Both teenagers stood their ground, both having too much pride to take it all back and kiss and make up.

Those words had knocked the breath out of her, leaving her struggling to draw breath. So she'd hopped straight on the first plane to the Sunshine State, and she'd tried to leave all her troubles behind her, shaking them off as she walked through the terminal and onto the plane.

While her skin had tanned in the sunny weather, and the highlights in her hair changed from electric blue to sea-foam green (who knew there were over 70 shades of green?), Jade had, apart from a few minor details, stayed the same girl she'd always been since she'd left, much to her disdain.

The cool breeze of Hollywood welcomed her as she shook off the sticky heat of Florida, finally feeling able to breathe properly again for the first time in two months. That said, it could have been the fact that she was finally home, and finally able to try and make Beck see that she really was sorry that enabled her lungs to function properly once again, because he'd been ignoring all of her texts.

* * *

Familiar boots storm down a worn down path to a front door on the good side of town. Looking at the front of the house, you'd never know that a family that came from the bad side of town lived there. Jade shoves her tarnished key in the lock and turns it, half expecting to see an empty house. When she steps inside, she sees her mother smiling widely, her arm around her little brother.

The last few months had been difficult for the West family, and there had been many changes that were difficult to adjust to. Jade's parents had divorced (who hadn't seen that coming?) and her dad had packed up and left while her mother kept up the Stepford Wife routine with no husband to cherish, no daughter to show off, a grimace that was supposed to represent a smile stuck permanently on her face.

After suffering through a difficult hour of pleasantries with her mother, trying aimlessly to convince her that her aunt wasn't a better cook, that she didn't have a better figure, that her husband didn't love her _that_ much, Jade finally found the time to unpack in her room.

Jade knew she was ready to get back to real life when she began to unpack her things, smiling at all of the small things she'd missed when she was away, such as her old jewellery box and angel figurine that Cat had given to her as a little girl. It was only when she places the angel back in her place after inspecting her that Jade sees the boy she hasn't seen in two months. Beck stares out of a frame, looking at her reproachfully. Jade had taken the photo sometime last summer, when he was staring at her. She'd snapped a photo before he could protest, knowing that he'd never let her otherwise. A small smile skimps her features for a moment as she remembers the moment fondly, and she wonders what he's doing.

An hour later, sitting at her desk in her room, Jade stares blankly ahead of her, spinning her phone in her hands. There's still no message, still no missed call, no slap message, no tweet, no splashface message, nothing. Jade's messages read " _received"_ and _"read"_ on her phone, so why wasn't Beck calling her back? Her frustration mounted as she continued to stare at the screen, staring until the words blurred with tears and her hands shook in anger and sadness.

That sadness quickly turned to fury as she wiped her tears and realized how angry she truly was at him for ignoring her for two whole months. Thoughts in her mind quickly expanded as she thought how she would never do that to him. Always one to give into her temper, even as a little girl in the grocery store (yes, Jade West was the little girl you had to step over to get to the checkouts while her frazzled mother fretted), Jade groaned in frustration. There was a loud _crack_ and before she'd even known she had done it, her phone lay on the floor with a shattered screen, the case - a picture montage of all of her friends, including Beck - staring up at her in many pieces. Jade stares at the pieces on the floor, her head in her hands.

Meanwhile, startled by the noise, a baby begins to cry in the corner of the room...


	2. Meet and Greet

_Dark clouds gather above their heads, two strangers in the forest, suddenly connected by a twisted kind of love. A tiny cry pierces through the silence that she'd created, and her head snaps up from her thoughts of loneliness and rejection. Slowly, Jade walks to the source of the noise, tear stains marking her pale cheeks._

 _All Jade seemed to hear at the moment was crying, be it her own or someone else's, and it was beginning to become a familiar sound. Wiping her own cheeks, Jade stared down at the source of the crying. Two blue eyes stared back at her. Mournful screaming made Jade's head pound and she absent-mindedly picks up the child, her hands clumsy and unfamiliar to the fragility of this new life, but determinedly gentle._

 _And even though she used the most gentle of touches, the baby still screamed, feeling cold and alone, just like Jade. She looks up to the sky, which looks as gray and miserable as she felt, and sighed, slowly rocking the child in her arms. "I know," Jade murmured to the baby, not quite knowing what, why, or anything else. Her hand, perfectly manicured, brushed against the shock of jet black hair on the baby's head. "I know."_

 _Her attempts at comfort fall on deaf ears and she winces as another heartbreaking cry, shrill and incessant, rips through the air, because she doesn't know what to do or how to fix it._

 _Jade looks around. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm alone too."_

Gasping for air, Jade sits bolt upright in bed. Her eyes slowly adjust to the darkness as she realizes that she's had a bad dream. Her heartbeat begins to slow and she looks around her room, feeling a little dazed. "It was just a dream," she whispers, almost laughing to herself. She realizes that she's in her room at home. How long had she been here? Did she dream the last two months?

Rubbing her temples, Jade checks the time on her phone, being blinded by the sudden harsh light. _3:23 AM._ It was almost as if everything was normal again, and she shook her head. And then the baby begins to cry, and Jade remembers, her head becoming clear again as she wakes up properly.

"Shh, shh," Jade sighs, climbing out of bed and throwing the covers off of herself. "You're too much." Jade says, picking the baby up and walking down to the kitchen. There, she prepares a bottle, mixing up the formula while singing a lullaby. "Oh be quiet, little brat," she murmurs, settling down onto a chair and placing the bottle into the baby's mouth. Her gentle tone gives her real feelings for the baby away, and she stares down into the baby's eyes. "This is your home now. How about I take you to meet everyone tomorrow? I think it's time I saw my friends again."

* * *

The next morning, Jade sings as she applies her make up, used to the routine of calming the baby as she finishes her usual tasks. Jade takes longer than she has in a very long time to apply the make up, carefully brushing powder on her pale cheeks and almost gluing her eyes together as she places false eyelashes on her own. She knows that it's Thursday, and that on Thursdays, the whole gang always meets up at Tori's house. While she doesn't know if that still happens, she's ready to assume that until she actually turns up to Tori's and to see that she's wrong.

The drive over to Tori's seems endless, and, fingers nervously drumming on the steering wheel, Jade wonders what she's going to tell everyone. About why she disappeared that summer, about why she never really called or visited, and about why she's suddenly back, holding a baby in her arms. When she finally arrives, she doesn't know whether to knock or not. A lot has changed in the past eight weeks. She takes a deep breath. _Don't be such a gank,_ she tells herself.

A loud knock on the door interrupts the five teenagers inside, who talk easily over pink lemonade. Cat jumps, her red hair flying up. She giggles as she realizes what happened, and smiles at Tori, who rolls her eyes as she stands to open the door. Pink lemonade splutters to the floor as Tori takes in the sight in front of her. She covers her mouth and coughs, choking out, "Jade!"

Jade's face instantly clouds, looking Tori up and down in a look of contempt. "I already showered today, Vega." Tori's cheeks tinge pink in an embarrassed blush.

"Why don't you come in," she says, sighing and stepping aside. She looks at Jade sincerely, looking at her instead of the baby this time. "We've missed you."

Jade raises an eyebrow. "I'm sure you have."

* * *

Beck stares at Jade as she sits down on the Vega couch. More specifically, he stares at the baby in her arms as she gently rocks her back and forth. The baby with the shock of black hair on her head, with the gray little dress on.

He wonders what her name is. What she's like. Does she sleep at night? Is she fussy? Does she like being sang to, or does she prefer the silence?

He wonders why Jade went away, and why she left him, when she knew that she was about to have the baby. He wonders if she did it alone, while he sat in his RV, texting his friends, because he was too stubborn to say, "I'm sorry." He doesn't _know_ much, but he does know that if he could turn back time he would.

"What's her name?" Beck suddenly asks Jade, his head snapping up to meet Jade's eyes. Jade's expression doesn't change as she stares down at the sleeping child in her arms, and he wonders how she doesn't marvel at every breath she takes.

"Maia." Jade tells him.

"Maia," he breathes, staring down at her once again. He watches as her little eyelids flutter as she dreams.

"It means brave warrior, goddess of springtime," she tells him, smiling. "I thought it was pretty." He thinks she's as pretty as her name, just like her Mama.

"You didn't have to do this alone." He says, his voice even and monotone. He doesn't want to choke up, to cry, in front of her. "Why didn't you _tell_ me?"

Guilt begins to hit Jade in tsunami waves as she realizes that Beck thinks the little girl she holds in her arms is his.

"Beck, we need to talk," Jade says quickly. "Alone."

Sighing, he nods, feeling as heavy as the guilt that consumes Jade. "Fine."

* * *

Two teenagers sit in an old car, not quite knowing the right words to say to make everything that was wrong, right again. "I missed you." Beck tells Jade, placing his hand on her thigh.

She glances at him. "You never called. Or answered my texts."

"I wanted to," he tells her, with such sincerity in his brown eyes that Jade wants to cry for all of her horrible thoughts. "But I though you'd be happier without me, making a new start. I didn't think you'd be back. I didn't expect you to be back with a _baby."_

"Listen, Beck-"

"No, Jade. I need to tell you that I'll always be there for you and the baby. Look at her face, she's perfect. Okay, it's a little sooner than expected, I know, but that's okay. I already have a job, and I'm getting parts. Did I tell you that I got a part in an advert?"

"No," Jade whispers, staring down at her knees.

"Well, I did. It doesn't pay that well, but it's a start. We'll be okay, I promise." He smiles at her, looking totally overwhelmed but _oh so_ proud. "Can I hold her?" Jade hands the baby over carefully, watching Beck as he fumbles to hold her, remembering the first time she'd held her.

"Beck?" Jade says, trying to tear his attention away from the baby in his arms. Beck carefully brushes his thumb over her cheek, and stares at the baby in wonder.

"She's so beautiful." Beck marvels. He shakes his head. "Sorry, what did you want to tell me?" He still isn't looking at her, and Jade knows that he's totally besotted. The fact that he can't tear his eyes from the baby's face pleases Jade as a tear slips down her cheek.

"...Just thank you. That's all."

 _ **A/N:  
**_

 _ **Hey guys! Hope you like this chapter and you're enjoying the summer. We're having some nice weather over here, so enjoy the sunshine!**_

 _ **~ Caitlin**_


	3. Secrets Are Hard To Keep

Jade stares at the baby in the crib, reaching a hand out to stroke her face, which remains serene in sleep. "What have I done, little one?" She sighs, turning her phone in her hand. The baby wriggles uncomfortably, and snuffles, the beginning of a cry forming in her throat. Before Jade can pick her up, she begins to scream, a high pitched wail that sounds so sad, so lonely. Jade gently rocks the crib, singing a sweet song for Maia.

" _Here comes the sun, little darling_ , _"_ Jade sings softly, rocking the crib back and forth. She tears her eyes from the little sleeping bundle in front of her to glance at her phone. An acid rain of guilt soaks her as she sees the five missed calls and seven texts from Beck. Sighing, she picks it up. She doesn't want to hear his voice, to hear his gushing words about the new little princess that he "already loved so much".

 _Not a good time,_ Jade taps out, stopping to think. _Trying to get the baby to sleep._ The phone rings as soon as Jade puts it down, and she stares at it for a moment.

"I only picked this up so it wouldn't wake the baby," Jade snaps as soon as she answers, an ever present frown on her face. "Do you have any idea how long it can take to get her down?"

Beck doesn't reply for a few seconds, and she almost feels bad somewhere in her sleep deprived, pounding head. Almost. "No," he replies slowly, as if talking to an idiot. "But that's because I didn't even know she existed. She's two months old, and I haven't even rocked her to sleep, I haven't had a chance to sing to her, or to look into her big eyes," he exhales, sounding like he wants to cry. "It kills me, Jade, knowing that you went through all of this yourself when I would have and should have been there. Can I come over?"

"..." Jade hesitates, and Beck clearly knows what she's thinking about saying, because he interrupts before she can refuse.

"Please? I won't wake the baby." Jade sighs, but bites her tongue, feeling a heavy guilt and sense of debt to Beck.

"Fine,"

* * *

A knock at the door pulls Jade from her deep thoughts, and she calls a soft, "Come in!" Her eyes narrow as she hears two sets of footsteps bound up the stairs in an excited jog, and sees Cat bound through the doorway.

"Hey, Jade!" Cat cries, her eyes wide and hopeful. "Can I see the baby?" Jade sighs upon seeing the redhead, and shakes her head.

"No." Her blunt response makes Cat's face fall. "Not today. Okay? You have to go," she gabbles, desperately trying to fill the silence so Beck didn't say something, anything, about _his little girl._ "You shouldn't have brought her here, not without asking."

"What?" Cat asks, her eyebrows knitted together. "Aww, I really wanted to see her because my brother says that when babies are really new, like Maia, they-" Cat trails off and her head tilts to one side upon hearing a baby cry. "You'd better go to her," she tells Jade. Jade sighs once again, sick of being told what to do with the baby. It seemed everyone had an opinion when it came to small babies.

"No, I think Beck should go." Jade says, rubbing her head to ward off a headache. "And you, Cat. Go home." Beck nods and goes in the direction of the high pitched crying, happy to be trusted for once, but Cat frowns, her bottom lip sticking out.

"Why?" Cat asks again. "I really wanted to catch up. You know, I've missed you. You didn't even tell me you were going until you'd landed in Florida."

 _Talk about tugging on the heartstrings._

"I should have told you. And I've missed you, too. But please, Cat, just for _once,_ do what I ask. Okay? Please. Walk out of here, and come back tomorrow. We can go to the mall." Her tone takes a desperate tone at the end, and Cat's head snaps up, serious for once.

"What's wrong, Jade?" Cat asks earnestly, her brown eyes imploring. "You can tell me," she says, looking at the doorway. She lowers her voice. "I won't tell."

"No, I can't! You just need to GO."

"But _why!"_

 _"_ Because I need to tell Beck that the little girl he "loves so much" isn't his!" Jade finally admits, eyes wide and bottom lip pulled into her mouth in a worried pout. Her blue eyes widen even more considerably, and she stumbles on her words. "I, um-"

"Jade, what did you do?" Cat interrupts, her expression, for once, serious. She takes Jade's trembling hands in her own and looks her straight in the eye. "You cheated on him." Jade pulls her own hands away roughly, looking to the ground. Cat takes that opportunity to look at Jade properly for the first time in months. Her hands are still trembling and the nail polish on her hands, usually immaculate, is chipped and old. The dark circles on her eyes are still visible under the layers of foundation, and her eyes are glassy with tears, making the thick eye liner smudged and messy.

Cat inhales shakily as she looks at her best friend, who she once thought was the strongest person in the world, now looking so weak. She stands up straight. For once, she had to look after Jade, and she was going to do it well. "You can tell me," she repeats, trying to smile reassuringly.

Jade swipes at her eyes, getting rid of any traces of a tear before it had the chance to slip down her cheek. "It's not what you think," she promises, grabbing her keys from the desk next to her. "Let's go. Beck can look after her,"

"You can't do that, Jade," Cat says, biting her lip. "It's not fair."

"Just come on. We need to talk." Jade holds out her hand, a hopeful look on her face.

"Let's go." Cat says, gripping her hand tightly.

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **Hey guys! How are you? I know it's been awhile since I updated but to be honest I just forgot to upload this, it's been written for awhile. Anyway, I hope you like this! As always tell me what you think. :)**_


	4. Cat's Got Your Tongue

"You did _what?"_ Cat stutters, her mouth hanging open. "How-? Why?" The little cafe two teenagers sat in remained quietly peaceful as Jade's careful façade fell into pieces around her feet.

"I know it was stupid and reckless-"

"Jadey, it was the sweetest thing I've ever heard of." Cat interrupts. She pauses, twirling a piece of red hair. Jade watches, knowing that Cat is not as ditzy as she makes herself seem. "But you're only seventeen. You've thrown your whole life away."

"Maia is not a waste of my life." Jade says firmly. She bites her lip. "I just thought of all the times you've told me about your life, about how you felt about growing up in foster care. About how you never felt like you fit in, all those lonely nights when nobody cared if you cried."

Cat offers Jade a wan smile, and grips her coffee cup tightly. "I'm okay now. Marion is really lovely. She bought me this necklace. Told me she thought it reminded her of me." Cat smiles proudly, showing Jade the little rainbow necklace. Jade sighs.

"Do you think I made a mistake?" Jade asks. Her blue eyes look worriedly into Cat's and the girls share a moment of silence, both thinking hard about their conversation.

"Yes." Cat says. "You didn't tell me."

* * *

Jade fumbles in her pockets for her front door keys, trying to jam the key in the handle so quickly that she misses a few times. The sound of a screaming baby gives Jade an overwhelming sense of guilt - for leaving Maia with someone she didn't know from Adam - and a feeling of heavy weariness, knowing that she will have to comfort the baby and Beck when she finally can open the stupid door.

Her conversation with Cat weighs heavily on her mind as she bounds up the stairs, leaving the door to slam behind her. Beck paces back and forth, the baby in his arms, singing some pop song that was on the radio 24/7. "Little princess," he sighs, rocking her in his arms. Not even noticing Jade standing in the doorway, he walks and bounces the baby. "You're the only girl who hasn't liked my singing."

Jade rolls her eyes at him, but secretly her heart soars. She wonders what he'd do if she told him right now, wonders if he'd drop the baby in her arms and run out of the front door as quickly as he could.

 _I can't tell him._

"You look like you're having trouble." Jade says, putting her bag and jacket down and taking the baby from him. He watches carefully as Jade fixes her blanket and strokes her head, rocking her and singing in the same rhythm. Almost instantly, the cries die down and little snuffles begin as she drifts off to sleep. "It takes practise."

"I wish she knew who I am." Beck says, stroking her cheek. Jade places the baby down into the crib and wraps her arms around Beck's waist, her head on his chest. "I missed her first two months," Beck says, his voice thick with emotion. "I missed _you."_

 _"_ I missed you, too." Jade whispers into his shirt. "I just needed to get away. You know how it is. Sometimes you've gotta leave, get away."

"I know." Beck says, "But we planned getting away. Together." He plays with her necklace, and she wraps her fingers around the matching one hanging around his neck.

Yin hangs around Jade's neck, so dark, a harsh contrast to her snow white skin. Yang falls from a string around Beck's neck, cool and crisp against his tanned complexion. But that's what they were - a walking contrast. It was so wrong that it worked.

Beck leans his forehead against Jade's, closes his eyes, and leans forward. A thousand thoughts run through Jade's mind at that moment, and she knows that she should tell him the truth. But when their lips touch, only one thought survives the palpitations of her heart - how much she missed him, his kisses, and the fact that he was the only person in the world who she truly felt safe with.

* * *

Later, lying on Jade's bed, Beck plays with Jade's hands as she reads aloud to the baby. They share each other's body heat, feeling content as the hands entwine and their feelings are matched - happiness surrounds them, on the surface at least.

"...The end," Jade finishes, tucking the blanket around the baby tightly. She doesn't face Beck while she does any of these motherly activities, instead choosing to focus on the task. She can't tell him, but she feels as if she can't lie to him either.

"So, earlier." Beck whispers. "You wanted to talk about something? It seemed kind of serious. You're okay, right? And Maia?"

"Oh. Yeah...We're fine. Both of us." Jade wracks her brain for something to tell him. "I wanted to talk about the baby's middle name."

"Oh?" Beck says with surprise. "What about it? What is it?"

"She doesn't have one. I just thought you could choose...I chose Maia. I thought it was your turn. Seeing as we're in this together." Jade chooses her words carefully, making sure not to tell any outright lies to his face.

"Yes, and it's beautiful. I couldn't have picked something as nice. Her middle name..." Beck takes a moment to think, peering into the baby's crib. He smiles suddenly, and turns to face Jade. "What about Esme?" He asks excitedly.

"Your mother's name." The guilt once again hits Jade but she pushes it down, further than she ever thought she could, and forces a smile. _Thank god you're an actress,_ she thinks.

"You don't like it." Beck says disappointedly. "I guess you're right, it's a bit out there."

"No, no," Jade says quickly, making a mental note to be more convincing next time. She looks and Maia and smiles properly. "Maia Esme. I love it."


	5. Moving On

"Just sign here, Miss West." Jade nods and scribbles a signature on the piece of paper, and is handed an official looking document that tells her Maia's name is now Maia Esme West. The lady smiles and takes the paper away with a flourish. "Congratulations. Your daughter is now named Maia Esme. And what a beautiful name! But then she's gorgeous - a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Jade smiles, nodding at the lady. "Thank you. So it's all official now? Everything's in order?"

"...Well," the lady says uncomfortably, "Everything but the father's name. I assume you know him, from the young man who called and asked if the name had been changed yet?"

"He's...bringing up the baby with me." Jade tells her. "He doesn't need to go on the certificate." Jade bites the skin around her thumb, a nervous habit that she never managed to kick.

"I think you've got a keeper there," the lady smiles, peeking into the baby's pram. "He sounded so excited." Jade fights back tears as she smiles at her, honing all of her acting skills just to appear even the slightest bit genuine.

Her voice is thick when she replies, and she feels as if the walls are closing in on her. "He loves us. He really does love us."

The lady smiles. "I see that."

* * *

Jade points to a number on the refrigerator, and grabs her keys. "That's my number, and my mom's is on the other side if you can't reach me. I'll only be gone for a couple hours. I'm just meeting friends. There's a bottle in there too, you just have to heat it up if she gets hungry. Is everything okay?"

The babysitter smiles, patting the baby's back. "We'll be fine, Mrs West."

"It's Miss." Jade snaps. She shakes her head. "Not that it matters. Call me if anything goes wrong!"

It only takes ten minutes for Jade to get to Tori's house, but it takes her five minutes to actually knock on the door. She always felt awkward intruding on these get togethers, mainly because she knows that they expected her to knock on the door all those months ago, when she was on a plane to Florida.

When she finally does, Tori opens the door with a smile, always cheery. "Hey Jade," she says easily, stepping aside and letting her in. "Where's the baby?"

"Maia's at home." Jade tells her, dropping her bag on the floor and kicking it to the side.

"You know you're not supposed to leave them home alone, right?" Tori laughs. Jade rolls her deprecating eyes and sits on the couch next to Trina, though she smiles for a moment.

"She's with a babysitter," she says. She sighs. "It's one of the first times I've left her, I'm a bit wo-" Trina leans over Jade, making them uncomfortably close to each other. She looks at Jade weirdly, and then pulls at her shirt. " _Dude_." Jade snaps, forgetting what she was talking about and moving back about a foot, glaring angrily at her. "Seriously, what are you doing?"

"Come on. I wanted to see what that baby did to you." Trina sighs when no-one seems to understand, throwing her hands up. "Everyone says babies ruin your body, but you look pretty good."

"Huh?" Jade pulls her shirt down further and raises her eyebrows at Tina. It takes her a moment to figure out what she meant, and when she does, she scathingly adds, "Go ask your mom." Jade then turns to Tori, still feeling slightly weirded out and trying to clear the atmosphere. "We playing or not, Vega?"

"Well, not everyone's here yet-"

The doorbell interrupts Tori's train of thought and she opens it up, smiling once again. Beck, Robbie and Andre stand there, bearing donuts. "I still don't understand that." Tori frowns, taking the box and stepping aside. She offers everyone a donut, and Jade takes one, taking a bite before realizing that they were a member down.

"Where's Cat?" Jade asks, feeling faintly irritated. A glance at the clock told her that she'd already been there for fifteen minutes, and she was only having a few hours baby free.

"She went shopping." Andre informs everyone. He lets a low whistle escape from his lips, raising his eyebrows. "She'll probably come back with about a hundred bags."

"Make that a thousand." Robbie corrects, nodding to Jade. "There's someone else to buy for."

"Oh no," Jade groans. "She's not on another Sky Mall binge?" Tori nods, taking a sip from her pink lemonade.

"It's actually worse this time." Tori's forehead creases in worry, and she too glances at the clock.

"How long do you think she'll be?" Jade asks.

"Not very. I got a text from her a minute ago. We have to go help her with the bags."

* * *

A huge pile of multi-colored bags surround everyone, two bags from one place, three from another. Jade spies a lot of designer bags, and takes a peek in one of the Victoria Secret bags.

"Your dad let you have your own credit card?" Jade asks, wondering what on earth he was thinking. Cat was never particularly careful with her finances, and Jade would have never given one to her. She surveys the damage, mentally totting up the amount she must have spent. The total came to hundreds.

"My parents are in Miami. At some fancy facility for my brother." She slumps down on the couch, bags either side of her. "I wonder why everyone I care about runs off to Florida."

"Oh, Cat," Jade says softly. Hearing the pity in her voice, Cat jumps up.

"I have so much to show you!" She begins to pull baby clothes, toys, pacifiers, and much more out of various bags. "Look what I got Maia. Oh, she'll love it." She holds up a little pink dress, dancing it in the air with a smile on her face. "I'll be her Godmommy!"

"Cat, she wasn't even Christened."

"What's that supposed to mean? That I can't be her Godmother?" Cat accuses.

"Well...you can be her _honorary G_ odmother. How about that?" Cat grins, clutching all of her baby purchases to her chest.

"Yeah! Just like you a-" Cat stops, biting her lip. "Um..look at these little bows, aren't they just the sweetest?"

"Cat?" Beck asks. Cat looks up guiltily. "What did you mean, just like Jade? She's her mother. Just because she's young doesn't mean she's not a good mother." Cat breathes out a sigh of relief, and silently, so does Jade.

"Oh," Cat says, using her usual ditziness to her advantage. "Sorry, Jadey."

Jade forces out a smile at Beck and Cat. "That's okay." She shakes her head. "Cat, I know all this spending is because you're lonely."

"What? No." Cat says unconvincingly, pushing a bag out of the way to stand up. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I was thinking...what about if I move in?" Cat's smile lights up the room like a million shining stars as she falls into Jade's arms.

"This is gonna be so _fun!"_

* * *

Jade folds baby clothes from a drawer into a box as her mother stands over her. "What were you thinking?" Mrs West demands. "You can't just move out - you're seventeen! Who will watch the baby? Who will look after you?"

"I'm seven _teen._ Not seven. I can look after myself. It's Cat you should be worried about." Jade bites her lip just thinking about it. She sighs and places another blanket into the cardboard box, sealing it with tape. "I survived in Florida. I'll survive ten minutes away."

"You had your aunt!"

"I'm Maia's mother." Jade hisses, slamming down her hand onto the chest of drawers. "You've brought up your children, made your mistakes. Now let me screw up my kids' lives like you did in my own way!" She snaps. "I'm going whether you like it or not." She pauses, hearing the doorbell. "If you really want to help, you can let Beck in and sort out Maia's things from the guest room."

Beck bounds up the stairs moments later, a goofy smile on his face. Then he sees the boxes, and the smile fades. Jade sighs, her hand on her head. "Not you too?"

"Well..Cat can be unpredictable. Is the house baby safe? Will she try and play with her, not let her get enough sleep?"

"Baby safe? She can barely hold her own head up, how far do you think she'll get without me supervising? I'm being responsible, Beck. Cat needs looking after just like Maia does. And babies sleep when they need it. Cat or no Cat, Maia will be rested and fine. Babies are resilient." She stuffs more clothes and baby equipment into another box, and shakes her head angrily. "And if you can't accept that then that's your problem, and you'll have to get over it pretty quickly. Because I'm going whether you like it, whether my mom likes it, hell, I'm going whether _Cat_ likes it-"

She's not finished with her rant when he interrupts her with a kiss. Stupidly, a smile spreads on her face and is still there when he pulls away. She looks up at him, and the goofy smile is back. "Maia Esme," he says, brushing his thumb on Jade's cheek. "Perfect."

"Did you tell your mom?"

"Yeah. She's pretty excited to meet her." Beck hesitates.

"What?"

"I wonder what Cat meant when she said that you were Maia's honorary mom earlier today." Jade faces her box once again, under the pretence of being preoccupied with packing.

"I've no idea." Jade lies. And it kills her, blatantly lying. But when she looks at Beck's smiling face, and she looks at the way Maia follows him around the room, she knows that everything that will be, will be.

After all, sometimes fate just needs a little push in the right direction.

 ** _A/N:_**

 ** _I decided I'd write this quickly before I went on holiday as there probably won't be another chapter for at least two weeks while I'm on holiday and then I go straight into school again till Christmas. Hopefully I'll be able to update soon, but there are no promises! But this is quite long. I'm hoping you're enjoying the plot and wondering what exactly Jade got up to before she left._**

 ** _I'm actually posting this from the airport! :)_**

 ** _~ Caitlin_**

 ** _P.s If any of you have Twitter, PM me yours!_**


	6. I Drink Decaf Now

Two sets of cries echo throughout the bare room. Jade's are strangled and muffled by her hand, and Maia's remain loud and unreserved as she fights sleep. "Shh, sweetheart," she chokes out, trying her best not to wake Cat in the next room. She places a bottle to the baby's lips and she drinks, her cries falling silent.

The door silently swings open, and Cat peeks in the gap of light that streams through the moonlit room. "Oh, Jade," she sighs, placing a warm cup of coffee next to Jade on the table. Jade wipes the tears from her cheeks and attempts a smile. "Babies stop crying when they get their bottle," Cat says, a notch of hopefulness creeping into her whisper, "Maybe coffee will make you stop."

Jade blinks back more tears and smiles again. "It's four am. I don't know if coffee is the best idea."

Cat bites her lip and her face falls, hiding behind her magenta hair. "It's decaf," she offers hopefully. Jade frowns, her glaring blue eyes cutting through the dark of the room.

"I don't drink _decaf."_ Jade hisses, spitting out the word like it's dirty. She stares at the coffee on the side table, and glares into the darkness.

"We-ell…" Cat says, pushing the coffee closer towards her, "You do now!"

Tears are quickly forgotten about as the doors of Hollywood Arts swing open to reveal two fresh faced teenagers with the world at their feet. Cat's red hair, washed and curled, tumbles in perfect ringlets, and her nails sparkle in the light. Jade's black boots squeak against the floor as she stalks to her locker, everyone parting out of her way in respect – or fear, she hadn't quite worked it out yet.

"Jade, wait up," Beck calls out to her, jogging to meet her as she slams shut her locker. "How's Maia?"

Jade sighs and turns toward him. "She's doing just fine. I told her where the bottles were and she knows that she absolutely can't open the door to anyone." Beck sighs this time, reaching out and touching Jade's shoulder gently.

"Very funny. Who's looking after her? You know, my mom really wants to meet her." Beck's eyes sparkle as he looks into Jade's eyes. Jade drops her gaze and focuses on the lines on her notebook, how some are wider than others, how the margins are just too small to write the page numbers on…"Jade?"

"Huh?"

"You didn't answer my question," Beck laughs softly. "You're really out of it today. Did Maia keep you up?"

"Yeah." Jade says quickly, glad for the excuse. "The baby's fine. My Aunt is looking after her."

"And can my mom meet her?"

"Uh-" Jade is cut off by the sound of the bell ringing above them. A sigh of relief escapes from her lips as she begins to walk quickly in the opposite direction to her loving boyfriend. "I'll catch you up later. I don't wanna be late."

Jade usually enjoys Sikowitz's weird lessons, which often run on tangents that spin out of control until even Sikowitz forgets the point of the whole lesson and dismisses his students fifteen minutes early, but this time even she couldn't remember what acting technique he was supposed to be speaking about. Guilt gnaws at her conscience, eating away at the last of her shattered nerves, and she just wants to forget about everything, to wake up and be in Florida, without a baby dependant on her for everything.

But then she imagines that actually happening, and her heart thuds at the thought of never seeing that baby's smiling face again, and never being able to have her thumb wrapped under five little fingers.

Jade shakes her head in the full classroom, oblivious to stares. She won't make her baby grow up thinking she isn't loved. She won't resent her, and make her hate her like she hates her own mother, for making her this twisted, broken human.

Her baby will grow up loved, and knowing that. Jade sighs. _It's just one meeting with Beck's mother,_ she thinks _, how hard can it be?_

"Hey, Cat," Jade says to the answering machine. "I don't know why you haven't picked up but I'm going to see Beck's mom after school. Show her the baby. I'll be back around five."

Two hands snake around Jade's waist as she ends the phone call. "So we have a deal," Beck says, kissing Jade's cheek. Jade smiles, content to be hugged again, feeling safer than she had in a long while.

"I guess we do," Jade smiles, and pushes down any feelings of guilt or hesitation as she kisses him back. "Maia needs to meet your mom. It'll be good for her."

Beck smiles. "Her grandma."

"Yeah." Jade whispers. "Her namesake." Beck's face brightens and he hugs Jade tighter.

"You have no idea how happy you've made me." In the middle of the high school hallways, Beck grins down at Jade, ruining his cool reputation with one swipe. "It might be a bit earlier than we wanted, but we can deal with that. I don't need wild nights and parties with the guys. You and Maia have made me complete."

"Oh, don't," Jade says, glaring at him. She lowers her voice. "People are watching."

Beck laughs, swinging Jade around giddily and dipping her to kiss her. "Let them watch! We're _happy,_ Jade. You don't need to pretend to be anything but."

Jade laughs softly too. "You're an idiot." She tells him, shaking her head and pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Your idiot." He tells her.

"Don't you forget it."

 ** _A/N:_**

 ** _This is sooo late but nevermind because tonight I feel quite happy so don't ruin it for me. :P  
Anyways...have a lovely day/night...hope you enjoyed the chapter :)_**


	7. Everything Will Be Okay

Waiting for Beck to arrive and pick her up, Jade paces up and down the stairs, rocking a screaming Maia. Any other time, unless she was tired or hungry, the baby would babble happily and sleep peacefully. Now her screams pierced through the silence like an insult to Jade's parenting skills - or lack thereof.

Jade rocks the baby steadily though her hands shake with trepidation. She knows that Beck's mother is one of the best parents she's ever known - she can't help but to think back to all of the times Beck would trace patterns on her palm as they lied together in his RV, and she asked him to tell her more stories about his idyllic childhood. Beck would smile at her and recount all the Christmases spent sneaking pieces of cookie dough out of the bowl while his mom pretended not to notice and all of the birthdays coming down the stairs with his eyes closed because he wasn't allowed to see his cake until the candles were lit and his wish was decided.

It had always made her smile to see his eyes light up and she swore that if she ever had children, then they'd get that look when they thought back to her parenting. Now she wondered if all Maia would remember is a stressed mother and endless crying from the both of them. Jade was about to start crying herself when Beck burst through the door with a smile and that self assured laugh that always set her mind at rest.

"She hasn't stopped crying all morning," Jade frets. "We should have just taken her after school yesterday."

"Maia, daddy's here!" he says, taking the baby out of Jade's trembling hands. "Well, my mom wanted to take us out for dinner and catch up. She's missed you too, you know. And you know she can't wait to meet Maia. I've shown her about a hundred pictures and she hasn't stopped talking about her since I told her. She thinks she's got my nose. I think she just looks like you." Jade smiles weakly and gently taps the baby's nose. With this, and Beck's gentle rocking, the cries cease. Jade lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiles once again. "Ready?" Beck asks.

"Ready."

* * *

"Oh, look at my beautiful granddaughter!" Mrs Oliver gushes, rushing over to Jade and kissing her cheek while smoothing Maia's brunette hair back gently. "Isn't she a little beauty? Don't you think she's got Beck's nose? He was a handsome little boy. What changed!" She laughs. "Oh, can I hold her?"

Jade's head spins with all of Mrs Oliver's comments, and she nods dumbly, handing the baby over without a word. Mrs Oliver plays with the baby's hands and smiles, her face lighting up in joy as the baby giggles. "Are you alright, dear?" Forcing out a smile, Jade struggles for a response.

"Maia hasn't stopped crying all morning," Beck supplies easily, taking a sip of his drink. "I think Jade's just tired. Should we order? I'm starving."

Mrs Oliver rolls her eyes while Jade sips helplessly at her drink. Part of her was deliriously happy that Maia was in Mrs Oliver's arms. It gave her a break, and she knew that there wasn't anyone in the world - including herself - who could look after a child better. Many of Jade's good memories were at the Oliver household with Mrs Oliver in the background somewhere, smiling all the while. "Boys! Always thinking of their stomachs."

"Lucky we've got a girl, then," Beck grins, breaking off a piece of a bread roll and eating nosily. Beck smiles but bites his lip. "I know we're young...but we're all she has. She might have been a surprise but I don't ever want her thinking she was a mistake."

Mrs Oliver sets her cutlery down and stares at the baby, now in the high-chair. She looks to her son and she smiles, "This baby could be the making of you. You missed her first three months, but you won't miss any more, and I'm so proud of you for stepping up. And Jade, you don't have to do this alone. You and Maia are both part of the family now, now more than ever. It's early, I know. But you're young and resilient and you'll adjust. And Maia won't know any different - you just have to do your best. What do you think I've been doing for the past 18 years!"

Jade smiles weakly and Beck laughs. "Esme, I don't think our bests are comparable. Your best is Christmas cookies for twelve days straight and buying your son an RV when he wants his own space. I can't even get my own baby to stop crying. Look, she's fine now. When she's not with me."

"Babies cry and mothers do too. I know what it was like, okay? In the early morning when you're all alone and it's dark and cold but you're sitting up trying to anything possible just to stop the noise of a crying baby. You feed them, they cry. You change them, they cry. But when you're awake and you feel tired enough to do something stupid, call me. Or Beck. We'll pick up the phone. I'll even come over and look after my bee-autiful granddaughter for a few."

Feeling relieved, Jade nods and picks up the baby. "My little girl," Jade whispers into her hair. She smiles properly for the first time that day, looking around at her...family. The word felt good to think and she laughed, tickling the baby's neck and making her giggle too.

Everything was going to be okay.


	8. Little Reminders of Big Things

Everyone says that children grow up so fast, and, as she turns the calendar to December, Jade concedes that they're right. As she turns to talk to Maia, her heart thuds and panic sets in as she realizes she's not where she left her. A pain-stricken expression appears on her face as she frantically scans the room with her eyes as once again it dawns on her that she's responsible for this little life. And then she feels a tug on her leg, and looks down.

"You're crawling!" Jade exclaims, laughing and close to tears with adrenaline. She picks up the baby and holds her close, kissing her cheeks. "You scared me," she murmurs. As her heartbeat slows to a normal pace, Jade detects the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Cat bounds down the steps, a big smile on her face, as always, and rushes over to them both as Maia smiles easily, unaware of the panic she caused.

"Did I hear that somebody's crawling?" Cat asks, tickling Maia's neck and taking her from Jade. Jade smooths down the baby's hair, her smile natural and easy-going, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. "Lucky it's Christmas break already. Can you imagine if we had missed that?" Cat gushes, smothering Maia in a shower of kisses as she giggles. Cat chuckles, too, and glances at Jade. "She's got your laugh, you know."

Jade raises her eyebrows but doesn't pass comment as she continues to get ready for the day, applying a final coat of mascara to her already heavily made up eyes. "Are you ready?" Jade asks Cat, her gaze settling on Cat's pajamas as she answers her own question. She glances at her phone as she sighs. "We need to leave in ten minutes."

Cat grins as she bounds up the stairs, calling behind her, "I can be ready in five."

"It's freezing out here!" Cat comments as she skips beside the pram that Jade pushes, her teeth gritted as she shivers. "Why did we choose to go to the park?"

"Because you're insane," Jade snaps, tugging her coat around her even tighter, as she bends down to check on Maia. "At least Maia's warm," Jade comments, pulling down the baby's purple woolly hat and adjusting her matching gloves so that every part of her is covered. "We'll just have to walk faster to stay warm."

It doesn't take them very long to reach the empty playground, apart from one lone figure swinging gently on one of the swings in the distance. "There's Beck," Cat points to the lone figure, and Jade rolls her eyes. "What?" Cat asks. Jade conceals a smile as she shakes her head.

"He always did love the swings." Then she bends down to the baby, unfastening her straps and lifting her out of the pram. "Look, Maia. There's Beck! He's drinking lemonade." She shakes her head, and taps Maia's nose. "And he didn't appreciate it when I got him a can for his birthday." Jade sighs and then shrugs her shoulders. "Oh well. Next year we'll try Pepsi, huh?"

Maia giggles, and Cat does too, and though Jade isn't sure either of them know what they're laughing at, she smiles at them both. Pushing the pram with one hand, and holding the baby with the other, Jade joins Beck at the swings, settling down on the swing that hangs next to him, as Cat settles down on the bench in front of them.

"Hey, I've been waiting for you." Beck smiles, waving at Maia as she giggles. Jade smiles, and shrugs apologetically.

"You know what Cat's like when it comes to keeping time," Jade explains, bouncing Maia on her knee as she begins to cry, because Beck's attention is on Jade now. Beck smiles and reaches out for her, a sappy grin appearing on his face as she reaches for him.

"Come to Daddy, Maia," Beck smiles as he takes the baby, as Jade winces at his words.

"Go to Beck, Maia," Jade says as she passes her over. "She looks so cute – careful!" Jade cautions, as Beck once again swings gently. Beck frowns at Jade.

"I won't hurt our daughter," he insists, smiling down at the baby, unable to help himself. "Does Maia love Daddy?" He laughs, as a pair of blue eyes stare up at him, imploring and curious.

The scene is interrupted by a droplet of rain splashing onto Jade's arm as she stares at them both, her thumbnail in her mouth. Maia, feeling the rain hitting her face, immediately begins to scream as Beck attempts to comfort her. The sound, mixed with the feeling of rain hitting her neck, sends shivers down her spine and causes goose bumps to form on her arms. Feeling oh so overwhelmed, Jade feels the panic rising in her chest as the breaths come quickly and shallowly.

"I-I can't do this," Jade admits, her eyes wide and hands shaking through the cold and through fear. "Please, look after her." Jade implores Beck, her shaking hand caressing the baby's head gently as she shakes her head. "I need to go."

And before anyone has the chance to stop her, Jade runs through the gate, and as far away as she can manage before she needs to stop and catch her breath, surrounded by trees and nature. It's only when she's caught her breath and the world has stopped spinning around her that she realizes where she is.

Her hand brushes over the spot where Maia had cried, looking so forlorn and alone that Jade, against all her best instincts, had picked her up and cradled her to her chest, and through her own tears had persuaded the baby to stop her cries. Naked and so fragile-looking, Jade had wrapped the baby in her jacket in an attempt to keep her warm. Motherly instincts had kicked in, whether she had wanted them to or not.

And guilty or not, Jade was going to be the mother that little girl deserved. Pulling herself up, Jade thought of all the holidays where she'd felt alone, all the Christmases that left her in her best dress, with no-one to twirl around with but her Barbie dolls. Wiping away the tears, and pushing down her guilty conscience, Jade only thought of the baby she'd left behind in the cold and wind, and reminded herself that on the day of her birth, she had wanted to do the same, but had lasted all of these months. With a new steely determination, Jade pressed on with her walk home.

"It's okay, Maia, mommy's coming home."


End file.
